


BROTHER B 
'VARSITY SUB 





TO TAD, CAPTAIN 
IGH SCHOOL ELEVEN 




Book / ^o ^ 



\i 



Copyright }1°. 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSm 




FOR LONG PASSES HOLD THE BALL IN THE PALM OF 
THE HAND, WITH THE FINGERS AGAINST THE 
LACINGS." 



LETTERS 

FROM BROTHER BILL 

'VARSITY SUB 



TO TAD, CAPTAIN OF THE BEECHVILLE 
HIGH SCHOOL ELEVEN 



BY 

WALTER KELLOGG TOWERS 

ASSISTANT EDITOR OF *'tHE AMERICAN BOY " 



NEW YORK 

THOMAS Y. CROWELL COMPANY 
PUBLISHERS 






Copyright, 1915, 
By THOMAS Y. CROWELL COMPANY. 



Published August, 1915. 



¥ 



JUN 30iy|5 



01.A401566 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 

The Center Ready to Pass .... Cover - 

For Long Passes Hold the Ball in the 
Palm of the Hand with the Fingers 
Against the Lacings . . . Frontispiece 

OPPOSITE PAGE / 

Swing Your Leg from the Hip .... 24 

The Other Backs Get Practice Catching 

THE Punts 32 ^ 

The Quarter Back Receiving a Pass from 

Center 48 ' 

The Linemen Must Learn How to Block 60 

Hold the Ball Under One Arm and Ward 

Off Tacklers With the Other . . 88 

Kicking a Goal 112 



v/ 



LETTERS FROM BROTHER BILL- 
'VARSITY SUB 

DEAR BROTHER TAD : 
I'm back, sound, snug, and also 
sleepy after a long morning on the train 
and a busy afternoon getting settled. I'm 
in the same old place and that pirate of a 
drayman having delivered my trunk, junk is 
strewn thick about the rooms and all looks 
familiar. Of course, I'm alone, and will be 
for three weeks, as "Chubb" isn't due until 
the more-or-less-beloved faculty summons us 
to toil within these collegiate halls. 

Tad, I'm going to make the 'Varsity! Now, 
that's a secret. Nobody knows it, not even the 
coach. Once off the train I made straight for 
the field and hustled out on the gridiron, de- 
serted just then, for it was only a bit past noon. 

7 



8 Letters From Brother Bill 

The turf was firm, close-cropped and smooth, 
the goal posts stretched white against the sky 
and the air came clear and fresh. I thought 
of the day less than three months away, when 
those empty stands would be filled with twen- 
ty-five thousand roaring partisans and the big 
red eleven would have come out of the East 
seeking our scalps. I thought of how it would 
feel to stand in place as 'Varsity left tackle, 
and I even marked the spot where I would 
stand for the kick-off. Then the chimes rang 
back on the campus, and I thought of my uni- 
versity, and what it all meant and what titanic 
labors I would undertake for her if the chance 
but came. I seemed inspired. My lungs 
filled, I rose on tiptoe, stretched my arms and 
cried aloud: 

"Bill, you can do it.'' 

"What?" came a voice. 

And I looked around and there was Brad- 
ley, the 'Varsity captain, grinning at me. 



Letters From Brother Bill 9 

I just gulped, and finally found my voice. 
"I guess I was day dreaming," I said, and 
stood there looking foolish. 

"Down for football?" he queried, and I 
answered "Yes" quick enough, glad he'd 
changed the subject. 

"Played a tackle with the All-Fresh last 
year, didn't you?" he asked, and I nodded. 

"What do you weigh?" was his next ques- 
tion. 

"Hundred and eighty on the hay scales just 
before I left," I told him. "Guess I'll make 
a hundred and seventy-two stripped." 

"They'll take a lot of pounds off us running 
us up and down this lot before we ever see 
a game," Bradley remarked. "But if you've 
been farming most of yours is muscle and 
maybe it'll stay. Glad you're fit. Be out early 
to-morrow, and come up to my room any time. 
So long," he called as he went into the field 
house. 



10 Letters From Brother Bill 

Seriously, though, Tad, I'll have to move 
a few if I do land a 'Varsity letter this year. 
Bellamy and Snow, who played the regular 
tackles last year, are both coming back, so 
it doesn't look overly bright for your big 
brother. But I sure am going to do every 
honest thing I can to make good. I'm going 
to work, and study and think — get as tough 
a body as clean living and hard practice will 
give me and try to learn all they tell me ; and 
they say that's what makes football players. 
It sure is going to be a great year here, with 
a splendid schedule, a captain like Bradley 
and The Old Fox' — finest of them all^ — to 
coach us. 

But, Tad, I haven't forgotten Beechville 
High, and I'm not going to. I'm just as 
anxious to see her win as I was when I played, 
— more, now that you're captain. I don't 
know how much of a correspondence coach 
I'll make, but I'll keep my promise and do my 



Letters From Brother Bill 11 

best to write you of what I learn about foot- 
ball and what happens to me on the 'Varsity 
squad. 

Mayhap you'll lead Beechville to a County 
Pennant. Mayhap I'll make the 'Varsity. 
Who knows? At least we'll do our little best. 

Your brother, 

Bill. 

P. S. — Keep on kicking that football every 
day. 



12 Letters From Brother Bill 



Dear Brother Tad: 

To hear Andy talk he's going to make iron 
men of us; and I guess it would be a good 
thing both for our own sakes and the team's 
if we were iron men. If anybody can make 
a squad fit I guess Andy's the man, for he's 
been training athletes for more years than I 
am old and they say he's one of the best in the 
business. 

There were about forty out for the first 
practice and Andy read us a lecture on Condi- 
tion with a very large C. If you believe 
Andy, condition is what counts in football. 
The coaches have a good deal to say about 
speed and brains, — but you don't hear much 
about weight. Mere beef doesn't count for 
much. Whatever the relative importance of 
these three essentials, condition is the one we 
hear about first, and perfect condition is the 



Letters From Brother Bill 13 

thing to strive for first. If a man or boy isn't 
physically fit he shouldn't play football, and 
even if he's foolish enough to risk his neck 
he wouldn't amount to much as a player. The 
serious accidents that are charged to foot- 
ball happen because players participate who 
haven't prepared for so strenuous a sport. 
You must toughen your body, Tad, by con- 
stant, strenuous exercise, and see to it that the 
other players on the Beechville team do the 
same. , Get the body in shape to stand the 
pounding and you can play your way clear 
through the hardest game and come out sound. 
It's in the big college games where the play is 
fiercest, yet the serious injuries to college 
players are few, indeed. It's because the col- 
lege coaches and trainers make their players 
get into condition. 

The secret of condition is work, — hard 
work, early work, late work, and then more 
work. Just at present football means work 



14 Letters From Brother Bill 

to us, — grinding work. I thought I was fit 
already, but I discovered I'd only started be- 
fore that first practice was over. I thought 
they worked me on the All-Fresh; but the 
'Varsity! It's a case of drive, drive, drive, 
with a coach seemingly always on your heels 
yelling "faster," "harder." 

No sooner were we in suits than they 
divided us into squads of from five to eight 
or nine. Each squad was furnished with a 
ball and one man would pass it from center 
position. Linemen would line up beside the 
center; or, if there were too few, all would 
pose as backs. No signals were called, the 
man at quarter simply shouting directions, 
"Full through center," and the like. Up the 
field we tore and then back again, and when 
our lungs seemed ready to split we would 
pause a moment only to have a coach descend 
upon us with savage orders to keep moving. 
We'd pass the ball around the circle in the 



Letters From Brother Bill 15 

moments when our lungs were catching up; 
but if we paused more than a minute or so 
we'd have The Old Fox bellowing at us across 
the field. His eyes seem to be everywhere, 
and the man who loafs gets a tongue-lashing 
he won't soon forget. This is no place for a 
son of rest. lA lazy man either has to get 
cured of being lazy or he'll be cured of try- 
ing to play football on this squad. 

Constant work is the only way to build up 
a team. Start hard, keep going hard, and 
weed out the loafers. Of course, we were 
only kept at it a couple of hours the first day, 
but the dose keeps getting longer and longer. 

'Another thing to practice in the short 
periods of pause is falling on the ball. Every 
player should know how to fall on the ball. 
Many are the games in which a recovered 
fumble turns the tide. Of course, an end 
must be able to fall on the ball. But many 
are the times when an active tackle, guard or 



16 Letters From Brother Bill 

back will be close to a fumble, and if he isn't 
on the ball instantly the other fellow will be 
and the opportunity lost to him and his team. 
Drop on a ball with your thigh on one side 
of it and your body on the other with the ball 
in the angle between. Drop your body over 
it and close it in with your arms and nobody 
can ever get it away from you. 

Start two men for the ball thrown along 
the ground. Then it's a case of speed in 
reaching it first, just as it will be in a game, 
and if the man who loses the race gets it away 
from the man who first dropped on it you'll 
know that it wasn't held right. Learn to drop 
on the ball instantly, and learn to drop on it 
for keeps. You're not a football player until 
you know how. 

Remember, Tad, that condition counts. It 
prevents accidents and it wins games. I know 
that it's natural for every team without a good 
coach to loaf and potter about instead of set- 



Letters From Brother Bill 17 

tling down and driving from one end of the 
field to the other hour after hour, day in and 
day out. But the secret of success is in keep- 
ing everlastingly at it. 

Your brother, 

Bill. 



18 Letters From Brother Bill 



Dear Brother Tad: 

There are over fifty out for the team now, 
and the first day of college nearly two weeks 
away. The Old Fox and his four assistant 
coaches are having their hands full, but they 
keep us all moving. Andy has two husky 
rubbers for his satellites, and after the run 
that tops off the practice, and the cold shower, 
sore muscles and bruises get a thorough mas- 
saging. You'd do well to get a big bottle of 
witch hazel, Tad, and encourage the other 
fellows who are playing at home to do the 
same. After they have tapered off with a 
good cold shower, following. the warm one, 
they can rub each other down. That's what 
most of us have to do here, for the rubbers are 
busy and don't pay much attention to any but 
the 'Varsity veterans. Get a bench down by 
the showers and stretch out flat on it. Have 



Letters From Brother Bill 19 

the chap who's doing the rubbing use plenty 
of dope and plenty of ^'elbow grease" and rub 
and kneed you good from shoulder to heel. 

These early days of practice, when we 
spend hours running up and down the field 
with the ball, don't mean simply condition and 
getting familiar with the feel of a pigskin. 
The linemen are getting some first lessons in 
the all-important art of charging. If we 
don't take the right position from the start 
there'll be trouble later. There is something 
to learn every day, and the player w^ho doesn't 
learn it gets behind and soon loses out. It's a 
case of trying and thinking every minute. 
Learn how to do it right — learn how to do it 
best. 

The linemen should stand facing the line 
squarely, resting most of their weight on their 
feet, which should be kept well apart so they 
won't be pushed sideways. Both hands should 
rest on the ground opposite the rear end of 



20 Letters From Brother Bill 

the ball. The player should balance on toes 
and fingers so that when he lunges with his 
arms his whole body will shoot forward. 
Every player has been told to charge low, — 
but do it, always! The usual fault is to 
charge too high, but one may charge so low 
as to lose his balance and his effectiveness. 
Keep your feet, so that if your opponent gets 
over you you will not be thrown to the ground, 
but will have the power of your legs under 
you to lift him and fling him out of the way, 
thus opening a hole for the back carrying the 
ball. 

Charge fiercely, but don't charge blindly. 
Keep the body low, but the back straight and 
the head up. Always, head up! Take a 
position where you will be able to watch your 
opponent, and the progress of the ball when 
the other team holds it. A good way to prac- 
tice is to tie a string two or three feet above 
the ground (depending on the size of the 



Letters From Brother Bill 21 

player) and charge under it for ten minutes 
each day. The boy who is ambitious to be- 
come a good lineman will do that at home 
before or after practice. Also he will put a 
heavy box or barrel on the other side of the 
string so that he will not only charge low, 
but charge with enough power to force it 
back. 

In the ordinary signal drill we are taught 
to always crouch right, always start right and 
always charge and charge low. Every eye 
should be on the ball and the start be made 
the instant it starts to move. The start is as 
important to a football player as to a sprinter, 
so practice constantly for a quick start. The 
men in the line must charge together, as a 
unit, shoulder to shoulder. The backs, too, 
are learning to take the sprinter's crouch and 
get off to a quick, even start. 

It is never too early to start a tackling drill, 
and weVe been getting it betwixt and between 



22 Letters From Brother Bill 

our other activities. Every day we are lined 
up at the tackling dummy, one squad at a time, 
and set to flinging ourselves at the swaying 
canvas figure. A coach is barking at us every 
minute, — I sometimes wonder what a coach's 
throat is made of — and the man who fails to 
bring the figure down with a snap draws a 
scathing rebuke. A fierce, well-timed dive 
and you hit the figure just below the hips, 
grasping the legs with your arms and bring- 
ing it to the ground with a snap. Fierce, 
hard tackling is what is demanded. Nothing 
languid goes in football. 

All our tackling isn't on a dummy, as we 
practice on each other. The squad is divided 
into pairs and one man tackles another, turn 
and turn about. Get the Beechville players 
at that. Tad. Don't let them baby each other. 
When you hit a man with your shoulder, hit 
him hard and put him down for keeps. 
We'll get some longer tackling drills later and 



Letters From Brother Bill 23 

I will write you more about the art when 
IVe learned more. For now, remember to 
tackle low and tackle hard. 

Your brother, 

Bill. 



24 Letters From Brother Bill 



Dear Brother Tad: 

I'm sorry to hear that Long Tom Bowser 
isn't back in school this year, and so won't be 
able to play fullback and do the kicking for 
Beechville. Tom certainly was a likable 
hulk, a valuable player, and a natural athlete, 
but he used to just whale away without think- 
ing. He wouldn't have fitted in any too well 
with the kind of a team I hope Beechville is 
going to have this season. The material is 
light, but, as far as I know the boys, they're 
strong and active, and above all thinkers. 
I'm glad to hear that most of them are doing 
as you are, — reading everything they can get 
hold of about football, trying to learn by ac- 
tual play on the field, and using their heads 
all the time. It's the player who knows and 
who has trained himself to think and act 
quickly who is valuable in football ; and it is 



SWING YOUR LEG FROM THE HIP. 



Letters From Brother Bill 25 

the mental as well as physical training that 
football gives that makes it a worth-while 
game. 

Of course you must have a kicker. Pick a 
long-legged player with brains and make a 
punter out of him. Pick a solid, heavy man 
with steady nerves and make a place-kicker 
out of him. Keep on kicking yourself, but 
don't depend upon yourself alone. A team 
must have several kickers to be fortified 
against accident; and if every member of the 
back field can kick and pass, as well as carry 
the ball, the other team never knows what's 
going to happen next. And don't bar a man 
from kicking simply because he's a lineman; 
he can always be drawn back to kick, if 
needed. Practice kicking every day. Tad, 
but don't do too much any one day, especially 
at first, else your leg may get sore just as a 
pitcher's arm will. 

The Old Fox has six or eight men punting. 



26 Letters From Brother Bill 



three place-kicking and one fussing with drop- 
kicking. The punters kick back and forth 
across the field to each other for an hour early 
in the afternoon, always with a coach barking 
at them. A few backs who aren't kicking get 
in on the catching. I wandered over early 
yesterday afternoon to get some pointers to 
send to you. There were only a couple of 
punters out so early. A coach grabbed me. 

"Here," he said, "you're long-legged. If 
you're interested, get into it till I look you 
over. What year?" 

"Soph," I gasped, "but I've never kicked 
much." 

"Well, you have time to learn." And he 
put me at it. 

First he made me swing my leg, back and 
forth from the hip. 

"That's it," he'd cry, "swing your whole 
leg, from the hip, and swing it clear through." 

Then he showed me how to hold the ball, 



Letters From Brother Bill 27 

straight out in front, lacings up, between out- 
stretched hands, with the outer point of the 
ball slightly lower. Taking a short step with 
my right foot (my kicking foot) and a nor- 
mal step with the left foot I dropped it so 
that it fell without turning, and caught it with 
my instep just before it reached the ground. 
A good, full swing helps, and the farther you 
can follow the ball with your foot the better. 
Kicking the ball a trifle on one side gives the 
spiral. I know you have much of the knack 
already, but see to it that you're holding the 
ball right and getting the fullest possible 
swing. Practice steadily for distance, and ac- 
curacy. Learn to kick low and hard into a 
wind, and high and far with a wind at your 
back. Learn to place your kicks so you can 
drop them where the other fellows aren't and 
they'll have a chance to travel farther. 

Drop-kickers seem to be born rather than 
made, and I guess there aren't very many of 



28 Letters From Brother Bill 

them born; but if any chap thinks he can 
drop-kick keep him at it. Keep the place- 
kickers blazing away at the goal during part 
of the practice, with the quarter-back candi- 
dates working with them. You must have the 
goals after the touchdowns, sure; and goals 
from the field often win games. 

I don't think I'll ever make a kicker, as 
there are plenty here who are at it and I have 
too much else to learn, but I'm glad I had the 
lesson, — especially if it helps you any. 

3four brother, 

Bill. 



Letters From Brother Bill 29 



Dear Brother Tad: 

I certainly am glad I went out for track last 
spring. Then I was most awfully sick of the 
daily grind on the cinders, when I'd much 
sooner have been canoeing, or on the tennis 
court. While I never covered the century 
much faster than eleven seconds, with a 57 as 
top mark for the quarter, when the regulars 
were doing under 50, now I realize that I was 
developing what natural speed I possess. 

Now that weVe begun to toughen, after a 
week and a half of work, speed is more than 
ever the cry of the coaches. If anything ever 
lands me on the 'Varsity squad, — and that's all 
I'm hoping for now — it will be the fact that 
maybe I'm a bit faster than some of the others 
who are just as strong or stronger and know 
fully as much. With thirty men seeking 
places in the line, I feel sort of lost. No 



30 Letters From Brother Bill 

regular line-up has been divulged yet, but one 
can guess how things are looking by the way 
one signal squad frames up around Captain 
Bradley. Bellamy and Snow are on hand and 
looking fit enough as they line up in the tackle 
positions. Big ^'Bub" Hoskins, who played 
at guard beside me on the Fresh last year, and 
a Junior who was a 'Varsity sub last year, 
usually fill in between the veteran tackles and 
Lowe, for two years a star at center. That 
leaves your big brother to herd with the rest 
of the lesser lights. 

I heard the coach telling the newspaper 
men that things looked good for a strong cen- 
ter five, but that he didn't have a great deal 
of end material in sight. Of course, it's too 
early for me even to get a hint of my fate, 
as we won't scrimmage for a week and there's 
no game till after school opens in October. 

The only cheering circumstance was when 
I landed third in the up-the-field sprint for 



Letters From Brother Bill 31 

tackles, guards and centers. They set us 
sprinting every day, short dashes and long 
dashes, and the tackles and guards seem to be 
expected to show as much speed as the backs 
and ends. Since I showed speed in that race 
the Old Fox has looked at me once or twice, 
which is encouraging. The coaches are cer- 
tainly afflicted with the speed mania. Every 
man must show speed in every movement. In 
signal drill the lines must get away as fast as 
the back fields, and every man must keep 
sprinting till the ball is down. 

Already weVe hearing the cry follow the 
ball. Even I know enough football to recog- 
nize that as a primary rule, and I'm trying 
never to forget it. Keep your eye on the ball 
whenever you can. Work toward the ball, for 
that is where the play is. Always be in the 
play. They keep us thinking about this from 
the first, so that every man may train himself 
to be ever on the alert. To the man who holds 



32 Letters From Brother Bill 

himself in readiness for instant action in an 
emergency comes success. The backs most 
often find opportunity to profit by always fol- 
lowing the ball, but the lineman, once he has 
put his opponent out of the play, also follows 
the ball, ready to make a tackle, help his back 
or grab a fumbled ball. The team that has 
every player in every play and keyed up for 
instant action in any emergency is the one that 
gets the ^^breaks" in a game, — has what looks 
like luck from the stands. Follow the ball, 
always! 

Pick a team. Tad, that is speedy, alert and 
game and you'll lead a winner. And see to it 
that every player is equipped to get the most 
speed out of himself. Every player must have 
cleated shoes to be effective. I know that 
many boys turn out with elaborate pads and 
head guards, and shoes with smooth soles. 
They can't get the quick start that is essential. 
If you can't afford regular football shoes, it 




THE OTHER BACKS GET PRACTICE CATCHING THE PUNTS." 



Letters From Brother Bill 33 

doesn't cost much to have a few leather cleats 
nailed onto the soles of an old pair of shoes. 
But don't use heavy shoes or shoes that don't 
fit. Medium-weight trousers are the thing, — 
not heavy, stuffy ones. You almost never see 
a shin guard on a college field. They cut 
down speed. They are used only in cases of 
necessity as a temporary guard for an injured 
shin, never as part of a regular uniform. 
Get your body sound and don't depend on 
pads. 

Your brother, 

Bill. 



34 Letters From Brother Bill 

Dear Brother Tad: 

The kind of signal system you adopt is not 
so important as that it is simple. Perhaps the 
system I'm going to suggest isn't so simple as 
it might be, but at least it's totally different 
from the one Beechville has used, and that's 
more than ever necessary now that Elkins has 
moved over to Loring and is to play with 
them this year. 

As a general rule, you needn't worry about 
any opposing team smelling out your signals 
during a game, so don't be afraid of simple 
signals. Of course, a team that could learn 
your signal code in advance would have an 
enormous advantage, so guard whatever sig- 
nals you adopt carefully. But never worry 
about the other fellow guessing your signals 
during play, and be sure that none of your 
team try to nose out the other team's code. 
In the first place it's dishonorable and un- 



Letters From Brother Bill 35 

sportsmanlike, which is good and sufficient 
reason in itself. Besides, the player who 
thinks about the other team's signals has no 
time to think about the game and is pretty 
nearly useless. 

We have just begun to get a few signals 
here on the 'Varsity and we'll have an entire 
new code before the season is over. Most big 
teams have a separate number for each play 
and use that number in connection with others 
to disguise it. Thus if play 104 is to be 
called for, and the third number called in the 
series is the key number the quarter will call 
something like 1 6-27-1 ©4-41 -12. Any num- 
ber in the series may be picked as the key 
number, the others being a meaningless jum- 
ble to prevent opponent's recognizing a play. 
The position of the key number may be 
changed at any time during a game by in- 
forming each of the players. 

That system requires a good deal of mem- 



36 Letters From Brother Bill 

ory, for no number indicates where a play is 
to go, and so every play must be remembered 
by itself. We had over sixty plays on the All- 
Fresh last year, but they tell me that the Old 
Fox gives the 'Varsity over a hundred plays 
before the season is over, which is some strain 
on the memory. 

What I suggest is that you number each 
player and each spot in the line. For in- 
stance number the players thus : Left end, i ; 
left tackle, 3 ; left guard, 5 ; right guard, 6 ; 
right tackle, 4; right end, 2; quarter-back, 7; 
left half, 9; fullback, 11; right half, 10. As 
the center is never called upon to carry the 
ball from any position he need not be given 
a number. Number the positions thus: 
Around left end, i ; outside left tackle, 3 ; out- 
side left guard, 5; inside left guard, 7; center, 
9; inside right guard, 8; outside right guard, 
6; outside right tackle, 4; around right end, 2. 

Then if you have the third number called 



Letters From Brother Bill 37 

in a series indicate the player who is to carry 
the ball, and the fifth indicate where he is to 
carry it, all the simple plays from ordinary 
formation may be readily indicated. If the 
quarter calls 42-86-9-4-4-1 1, the third number, 
9, would indicate that the left half was to 
carry the ball, and the fifth number, 4, would 
tell all the team that he was going to take it 
outside his own right tackle (the opposing left 
tackle), and that a hole must be opened for 
him there. The position of the key numbers 
in the series may be changed at any time the 
signals seem to be becoming too apparent. 
Further secrecy may be secured by using a 
number whose parts, when added together, 
will form the number to be indicated. Thus 
in calling the left half in the above example 
the quarter would use as his third number 45, 
or 63, or 81, or any combination that would 
add up to nine. The same system may be ap- 
plied to the position number. 



38 Letters From Brother Bill 

Of course in football as played to-day, many 
special formations and special plays must be 
provided for. Suppose you use the first num- 
ber of the series in which to indicate by num- 
ber any special formation, if one is to be used. 
And you might use a number, like 13, to in- 
dicate forward pass plays. This should be 
used in the third position instead of the signal 
for the man to carry the ball, as a special 
formation might be used and would then pre- 
cede it. Numbers following in fourth, fifth 
and sixth could then be used to indicate who 
was to pass the ball, who is to receive it and 
where. 

If you once understand the general system. 
Tad, you can work out the details to fit into 
any style of play. Adopt a set of signals now 
and get at them right away. That every 
player must know all of the signals is elemen- 
tal; but make sure of the elements. 

Your brother, 

Bile. 



Letters From Brother Bill 39 



Dear Brother Tad: 

Of course it's time for you to plan plays 
with that first game so close. The 'Varsity 
is just beginning to take up plays, but here 
the first game is still two weeks away. The 
university doesn't open till October and the 
first game falls the second Saturday of the 
month. They're not planning much for that 
game here; it's building a team for the big 
games later in the season that is occupying the 
attention of the coaches. We're still pound- 
ing on rudiments. Four teams are driving 
away at signal drill pretty regularly now, and 
I seem to have landed on what looks like a 
sort of a second team. Whether I'll fall 
lower or climb higher the future alone will 
tell. I'm hoping and trying my best. 

I'll tell you about a little formation that can 
be used on all sorts of plays and that you can 



40 Letters From Brother Bill 

add right now to the fundamental line plunges 
and end runs you have been practicing and 
the other plays that Beechville used last year. 
Possibly you can get it ready for the Coal City 

IT IG C RQ }?T n 

O O DO O O 




^-^\PB 



'5^ 



"vi^^'^^j.H 



Forward Pass From Fake End Run 
(Figure 1). 

game, if it looks good to you. I'm sending 
you a little diagram (Fig. i) that may make 
it clear. 

With the line in regular formation — three 
men on each side of the center — a variety of 
plays may be used. The simplest play would 
be a pass to the quarter and by the quarter 
to the fullback, who would make a dash off 



Letters From Brother Bill 41 

his own left tackle. The formation may be 
used on a straight quarterback run, the quar- 
ter receiving the ball from the center and en- 
deavoring to get around the right end of the 
line, with the right half and full to furnish 
interference. One or two plays of that nature 
will convince the other side that the play is 
intended to go in the direction it is apparently 
aimed, and that the man playing back is 
merely being given a rest. Then let the cen- 
ter pass to the quarter, the right half and full 
dash to the right as though for an end run, 
but while the quarter appears to be going to 
the full, in reality he turns quickly and passes 
it to the man playing back. This back, on 
receiving the ball, runs a little to the left, with 
the quarter guarding him, and passes to the 
left end, who has sneaked into a clear spot 
under cover of the play, apparently going to- 
ward the other end of the line. In the draw- 
ing the solid lines show the course of the 



42 Letters From Brother Bill 

players, the dotted lines the course of the ball. 

A forward pass play may be used on the 
other side of the line, the right half and full 
both striving to get through with the right 
end, the quarter jumping to the left just as the 
ball is passed and allowing the ball to go 
straight through to the man back on a long 
direct pass from center. Or, the quarter may 
stand to one side at the start and the man back 
raise his hands as though to receive a pass 
for a punt. This always has a tendency to 
confuse the other team. Then the quarter can 
jump behind the center, grab the ball just as 
it is snapped, and pass it to the full for a line 
play or end run. 

The same formation of backs works even 
better with a line shift as shown in the other 
diagram (Fig. 2). This formation puts an 
extra man on one side of the line and so gives 
more power to an off-tackle play, and off- 
tackle plays are the line plays that are being 



Letters From Brother Bill 43 

largely used in present-day football. Of 
course, the opposing line will shift to meet 
your shift, — that is, they will if they know 
anything, and if they don't you can slaughter 
them on off-tackle plays and end runs behind 
the shift. If the opposition shifts you still 
hi IQ C RG IT RT I?E 

c o go O O O 



'&^ 



Cross Buck From Shift Formation 
(Figure 2). 

have a little the best chance on an off-tackle 
or end play. The forward passes may be 
worked in a variety of ways and directions. 
The play illustrated keeps the other team from 
being too sure of what direction your play is 
to take, and is a good one in itself. The for- 
mation looks like one for a pass straight back 



44 Letters From Brother Bill 

to the left half, who stands with hands out- 
stretched, and a pass, punt or run to the right 
is expected. Instead, the center passes to the 
full, who plunges into the line, to the left of 
his center, with the quarter ahead of him. 

You can think out a great variety of plays 
from this formation. Sit down with some 
checkers and lots of blank paper and figure 
out your plays. Get the other fellows to join 
you in this and you'll develop team play, as 
each man can watch his own checker, learn 
just what every play means and what part he 
is to perform in its execution. 

Remember that you can always shift your 
backs on this formation. If the full has been 
worked too hard, or you want to use him for 
a pass let him play back and the half take 
his place as second man in the tandem. This 
play is good because it gives you a chance to 
give light work for a play or two to a back 
who has been worked hard. 



Letters From Brother Bill 45 

May fortune be with you on Saturday, Tad. 
Play them hard, tackle low, use your head 
and fight always. Give them a clean, snappy 
battle and, win or lose, Beechville will be 
proud of you. 

Your brother, 

Bill. 



46 Letters From Brother Bill 



Dear Brother Tad: 

Just back from practice this Monday after- 
noon. I write post haste to tell you not to be 
discouraged, just because Coal City beat the 
team you led. I saw the score in the paper, 
but didn't realize how bad you felt till I 
opened your letter just now. A 20 to 10 
score against a team from a school ten times 
the size of Beechville High is no disgrace. 
True, as you say, if this had happened and the 
other thing hadn't happened, and none of you 
had made mistakes, and all of you had played 
like you will be playing on Thanksgiving you 
might have won. The spirit that no one is 
too big for you is fine, but now that the game 
has gone remember that Coal City isn't in the 
county and the county championship is what 
you are after. I hope Beechville will be after 
the state championship some day, but it will 



Letters From Brother Bill 47 

only be when the school board gives a better 
equipment, and the boys can find a real coach 
and an athletic management to equip a team 
and handle a schedule properly. Don't ex- 
pect too much. It takes several years to de- 
velop a capable squad of football players in 
any town. 

Learn from the mistakes that were made 
Saturday. Talk to the onlookers who know 
something about football. The line-men who 
didn't charge low and hard, who let their man 
through and missed tackles will have to go, 
or learn better. The backs who missed their 
signals, who didn't block, who didn't follow 
the ball, and who missed tackles must be im- 
proved upon. If every player will really 
profit by the experiences of the game, Beech- 
ville will have a dangerous eleven. Don't 
let the team sag or lose heart because of one 
defeat. Look ahead. Keep things snappy 
and peppery. 



48 Letters From Brother Bill 

Make the defensive game your first care for 
a time, Tad. If you can develop a team the 
other fellows can't score on you can't get 
licked; and then you can pay more attention 
to the offense. I'm sending you a drawing 
(Fig. 3) of what looks to me like the best of 



o 000 o o 

LI LT LG RG RT RE 

D 

C 

O O 

LH RH 

O 

QB 



FB 
O 

Defensive Formation (Figure 3). 

defensive formations for general play. It 
doesn't leave many men on the line, but the 
line plunging game won't score any touch- 
downs against you if your tackles and guards 




THE QUARTER BACK RECEIVING A PASS FROM CENTER. 



Letters From Brother Bill 49 

are as skillful and powerful as they should be. 
The secondary defense men can always close 
up and stop line plunges, and posted as shown 
in the drawing they are in a better position to 
grab forward passes and spoil the other fancy 
plays that are most likely to do damage. If 
you meet a team with a heavier line, that 
gains much ground through your line, move 
the center and halfs up close, but that ought 
not to happen with the teams in the county 
league. 

On the defense, place the players where 
they will be most effective without regard to 
what positions they play on the offense. A 
man may well play offensive full and defen- 
sive end, offensive center and defensive tackle, 
or any other possible combination. The most 
successful teams are arranged differently when 
upon offense and defense. 

First, you must have a pair of powerful 
tackles who can break up an interference and 



50 Letters From Brother Bill 

stop a play. Each tackle has two men against 
him and he must have the strength to handle 
them and the speed and activity to cover 
ground. The positions of the guards, with a 
gap left between them, caused by drawing the 
center back, gives them responsibilities that 
are scarcely less. For defensive ends pick 
two men who are powerful as well as fast. 
They must smash the interference on all plays 
directed around their end, keeping always on 
the outside and turning in the man with the 
ball. The end must be fast enough to pre- 
vent the opposing backs running around him 
and strong enough to break through an inter- 
ference. If he can break through an inter- 
ference and get the man with the ball as well, 
all the better; but his first duty is to keep 
outside the coming play and turn the runner 
in where the half or center can make the 
tackle. 
A really capable man, playing at center, 



Letters From Brother Bill 51 

may make half the tackles. He can get in 
every play, whether it be through center or 
around the end. His duty is to keep opposite 
the play as it moves from side to side and 
plunge into it when it turns in. The half 
backs must come up and be ready to stop the 
runner on end and off-tackle plays, and with 
the quarter watch for passes and tricks. The 
duties of the defensive full-back who must 
handle all kicks with unerring accuracy and 
stop any back who may break through, are 
familiar. These four positions are the places 
for the lighter players ; but they must be filled 
by men who are sure tacklers and capable of 
picking a pass out of the air from in front of 
an opposing end. 

If the opposing team shifts, shift the de- 
fense to meet it. If the offensive tackle moves 
from one side of the line to the other the 
defensive tackle opposing him must shift so as 
always to remain opposite him, and the sec- 



52 Letters From Brother Bill 

ondary line must shift across a little to keep 
the center of strength opposite the center of 
strength of the opposing team. 

Scrimmages started Saturday and now the 
coaches are roaring over the faults that in- 
evitably develop. I'm definitely on the sec- 
ond team, but grim, scrappy and hopeful. 
The 'Varsity squad will be picked next week. 
Help your big brother hope. 

Your brother, 

Bill. 



Letters From Brother Bill 53 

Dear Brother Tad: 

'As I went into the field house this after- 
noon to get into my togs for practice I found 
the fellows crowded about a typewritten list 
that was fastened to the wall. It was the list 
we have been expecting and dreading, — the 
list of the 'Varsity squad. I pushed up within 
view and read it once in haste, and then 
again more slowly. My name was not there! 

Of course it's a big disappointment not 
even to land on the squad, yet I suppose I 
hoped for too much in my first year of com- 
petition with scores of strong and able men 
gathered from all over the country at this 
great school. There were but twenty-one 
names on the list, so there are more than forty 
of us who fell outside. There still is some 
hope for this year, for the squad may be en- 
larged, or some of those inside may fall from 
their places. 



54 Letters From Brother Bill 

Some of the fellows who didn't make the 
squad got sore and quit. Pm glad to say 
there were only two or three who turned in 
their suits and went home like very small 
boys who "won't play unless they can have 
things their own way." I'm going to play 
all the harder and learn as rapidly as may 
be to make myself worthy of a place, and to 
prove it to The Old Fox. It's good to be 
where you feel that things are run "on the 
square," where you feel that those in charge 
are picking the players on merit alone. But 
even if I felt that the coaches and captain 
hadn't been fair to me the only manly thing 
to do would be to accept the decision, stick, 
and fight all the harder to force them to 
recognize my ability. 

So now I'm a member of the scrubs, a 
separate squad with a separate coach and 
different signals and plays. Our task is to 
furnish practice for the 'Varsity, and try and 



Letters From Brother Bill 55 

learn enough to be valuable material some 
day. I certainly am going to endeavor to 
furnish a great deal of practice for the 'Var- 
sity player who draws the spot opposite me 
in scrimmage drill. My task is to prove that 
I'm a good enough player in intellect and 
speed and power to be a member of the 
'Varsity squad, and I'll plunge into it with 
jaw set and muscles tense, and "show 'em!" 

I really don't feel half as sorry for myself 
as I do for Travis, a senior, who's been a 
mighty good friend to me. He was standing 
beside me when I read the list in the locker 
room, and I guess a few tears must have 
slipped into my eyes when the blow fell, for 
he reached over and squeezed my arm. 

"Cheer up, kid," he said; "your chance 
will come. Just keep your nerve and your 
faith." 

Then I read the list over again and saw 
that his name wasn't there either. 



56 Letters From Brother Bill 

"But youVe lost out, too,'' I said, "^and 
you're a senior and this is your last chance, 
while I'm only a soph and trying for the 
team for the first time." 

"Yes," he said, "it's tough to come down 
early for three straight years, play through 
two long seasons with the scrubs and then 
lose out on the last try. But I'm not through 
yet. The season isn't over, kid; keep on 
plugging." 

As we walked over to the lockers together 
I thought of all the things he'd done for me, 
and all the plays he'd taught me. 

"You've been mighty good to me," I told 
him. "You've taken a good deal of time out 
of this, your last chance, to coach me, and 
that when we're both trying for a tackle 
position, and when helping me was hurting 
your chances." 

"Boy," he said, — he talks like he was 
twenty years older than I, though I don't be- 



Letters From Brother Bill 57 

lieve he's four — "we're all out here to give 
the old school the greatest eleven that can 
be turned out. If we could couple my ex- 
perience with your strength and speed we'd 
have considerable of a football player. I'd 
give a mighty lot to make this team; but the 
thing for all of us to think of first is turning 
out a winning eleven and worrying about 
personal glory afterward." 

That's the spirit up here, Tad, and that's 
the spirit that makes football teams great and 
the men on them big in the finest sense of the 
word. Every individual must sink his own 
hopes and ambitions in the larger hopes and 
ambitions of his team. On the field the play 
must be for the team, not for himself. Team 
play is the absolute essential in football and 
it can only come when each makes himself a 
moving, thinking part of a splendid machine. 

Try to inspire in every player the spirit 
of Beechville first. It takes self-sacrifice to 



58 Letters From Brother Bill 

achieve gridiron success, — as it does to 
achieve any sort of success that must be 
reached by concerted action. 

Your brother, 

BiLD. 



Letters From Brother Bill 59 



Dear Brother Tad: 

We had one real scrimmage to-day, the 
last before the opening game, and while the 
coaches and 'Varsity players didn't get a lot 
of satisfaction out of it we scrubs did. The 
regulars worked all afternoon and only made 
one touchdown and The Old Fox was about 
crazy. For a time I faced the veteran Bel- 
lamy, and he surely is one grand player. 
But I didn't let him through once and I cer- 
tainly learned a lot from his play. A few 
times I got the jump on him and not once 
did he put me down and out. When I 
thought of winning a place on the other 
squad the strength of desperation surged in 
me and I crouched with every nerve and 
muscle tense and shot forward with the snap 
of the ball as though on steel springs. The 
Old Fox gave the veteran more than one 



60 Letters From Brother Bill 

tongue-lashing for failing to open up a hole 
through me when the play was coming my 
way. But I'd just made up my mind that I 
wouldn't be put out and I guess that's the 
best way not to be outplayed. 

The reason the 'Varsity couldn't gain was 
that the 'Varsity line wasn't opening holes. 
No back can gain when there isn't a hole 
open for him on a line play or where his in- 
terference hasn't cleared the way on an end 
run. The most important part of offensive 
football is, not running with the ball, but 
blocking. The responsibilities of the man 
carrying the ball are no greater than those 
of the other ten players of his team. The line- 
men must recognize their responsibilities in 
opening holes for the backs. The best back 
in the world can't gain if his line doesn't 
block and open holes. 

On the offense if the signal calls for a play 
through his side of the line the duty of the 





"THE LINEMEN MUST LEARN HOW TO BLOCK." 



Letters From Brother Bill 61 

lineman is to put the player opposite him 
out of the play. If playing at guard, and the 
play is to go between center and guard, charge 
to the inside of the opposing guard so that 
you can swing him away from the center of 
the line. Thus an opening may be made for 
the man with the ball. The charge must 
be lightning fast, low and with tremendous 
power. Get under the opponent and fling him 
out of the way. If possible, slip your right 
leg between his two and with the side of your 
body against his hip and your other leg as a 
brace you fling him away from the play. 

Pair off your lineman. Tad, and have them 
practice this form of blocking until they are 
adept at it, first one taking the offensive and 
then the other. The task of the player on the 
defensive is to avoid being blocked and to 
break through so that he may stop the oncom- 
ing play. If the signal calls for a plunge be- 
tween guard and tackle, the guard, of course, 



62 Letters From Brother Bill 

■■■■■^^^^■"^^"^■"■■■^~~"~"^~^"~~*~^^"^^"""-— —— ^-^^^^"— ■— — ■"""■"ii^"""i«"™i^^ 

charges on the other side of his opponent and 
endeavors to fling him in the other direction. 

The center, too, has his full share of block- 
ing on the offense, his duties having only begun 
when he passes the ball. If his opponent is 
playing up close and the play is coming be- 
tween guard and center he must fling him to 
one side. If the other center plays back and 
the guards may be depended upon to handle 
their opponents, the offensive center charges 
straight through to block the center playing 
back on defense so that he may be put out of 
play and prevented from coming up to stop 
the play. 

The offensive tackle has his end to help him 
in disposing of the tackle opposite. When the 
play is to go inside a tackle a favorite trick 
is for the end to fling himself against the leg 
of the defensive tackle from the outside, keep- 
ing low, while the offensive tackle charges 
the defensive tackle from the other side and 



Letters From Brother Bill 63 

flings over and out of the play. On plays 
outside of tackle the method of attack is re- 
versed. 

When the play goes to the opposite side of 
the line the lineman must check his opponent 
for an instant and then slip through and block 
some player of the secondary defense, so that 
if his back should chance to break through 
he may have a free field to the goal. In all 
blocking the player must be careful to avoid 
clutching or grasping an opponent in any man- 
ner or wrapping his arms about him since 
holding will not be tolerated by efficient offi- 
cials and a heavy penalty will result. But a 
mere knowledge of the art of blocking, neces- 
sary though it be, will be of no avail unless 
coupled with low, fierce, powerful charging. 
Unless you get the jump on an opponent you 
can seldom reach him so as to block him 
effectively. 

Keep the fellows at blocking drill, Tad, and 



64 Letters From Brother Bill 

make the lineman realize their responsibili- 
ties. May luck be with you Saturday. 

Your brother 

Bill, 



Letters From Brother Bill 65 

Dear Brother Tad: 

When I wrote you yesterday I had a good 
deal to say about the blocking which the line- 
men must do when playing on the offensive. 
The more a player knows about blocking the 
better he will be able to avoid being blocked, 
which is his task as soon as he assumes the de- 
fensive. On the defensive the lineman must 
make continuous use of his hands to be at all 
effective. He must charge fast with arms 
outstretched and get his hands against the head 
or shoulders of his opponent. Doing this he 
can hold him at arm's length and avoid being 
blocked until he has determined just where 
the play is going. Then he must fling the 
opponent aside and plunge into it. If the de- 
fensive lineman can get one hand on the side 
of the opponent's neck and the other hand 
under his upper arm, the player so caught may 
be flung to one side with ease. 



66 Letters From Brother Bill 

Don't let an opponent get under you. Keep 
your hands on him and keep him away. If 
your opponent charges so very low that he is 
practically on the ground, and so low that 
you can get your knee on his shoulder and 
neck he may be forced to the ground where 
he will be useless. 

Don't, above all things don't, let your op- 
ponent force you back. Charge to meet him, 
and at the very worst hold him even. If you 
are boxed it is then necessary to back away 
quickly and not waste strength trying to break 
through. But, on the other hand, once you get 
a player boxed keep right after him and don't 
let him get away from you. 

The defensive tackle, with two men to face, 
must never get caught between them, else he 
will be helpless. They both will be opposite 
him as he lines up, but he must charge to one 
side or the other and, getting his hands on 
the man closest to him, keep outside of them 



Letters From Brother Bill 67 

and plunge into the play if it comes his way. 
This task taxes a tackle's speed and power 
and skill to the utmost. 

There was no scrimmage to-day, of course, 
for the game is to-morrow. The 'Varsity 
squad was given a long signal drill and the 
way The Old Fox roared it sounded as 
though he didn't like the way things were go- 
ing. While the game probably won't amount 
to a great deal as a contest it will be a test for 
the team and the players on the team. Would 
that I might even hope to get into it for a 
few minutes. But I'll watch as cheerfully and 
as carefully as I may and try to learn from 
what occurs. 

It is probable that every man on the 'Var- 
sity squad will get into the game to-morrow. 
That will give them all a try-out and show 
the coach what they can do. Using plenty of 
substitutes should be good policy for Beech- 
ville in the next two games. They ought to 



68 Letters From Brother Bill 

be easy for you and there are many good 
reasons for letting the subs in. In the first 
place it saves the regulars from possible over- 
work and injury. But better yet it keeps the 
substitutes enthusiastic and interested, and 
no team can prosper without plenty of sub- 
stitutes. You must always be ready for emer- 
gencies, and besides that the moral effect of 
a substitute sitting on the sidelines is consid- 
erable. If a player knows that another is 
hot after his job he'll try every minute in 
practice as well as in the game. He knows 
he must keep going at top speed and develop 
his powers to the utmost to keep ahead of the 
other fellow. If a team can be kept continu- 
ally on its toes the chances of success are ex- 
cellent, and encouraging substitutes is one 
way of doing it. 

Now I'm ofif for the first mass meeting of 
the year. The whole school will be out to 
cheer the team, sing songs, practice yells for 



Letters From Brother Bill 69 

to-morrow, and work up enthusiasm gen- 
erally. A mass meeting is something that 
should never be missed. 

Your brother, 

Bill. 



70 Letters From Brother Bill 



Dear Brother Tad: 

News! Good news! I'm on the 'Varsity 
squad. It all came so suddenly I'm not quite 
sure it's so yet, but I guess it's real. It came 
as a result of the first game, — not because I 
did anything, for of course I had no chance, 
but because some of those who had a chance 
didn't do anything either. Four men lost 
their places on the squad as a result of the 
team's poor showing, and five new ones were 
lifted up from the scrubs. I am one of the 
lucky five. 

The change came when we turned out 
Monday afternoon for the first practice after 
the opening game. The Old Fox was still 
furious. He evidently had stayed hot clear 
through from Saturday afternoon when he 
was about the hottest man I ever saw. A lo 
to 10 tie is certainly a bad opening against a 



Letters From Brother Bill 71 

small eleven. The play looked rotten from 
the sidelines. The Collegians came down 
primed to play the game of their lives and 
make a showing, — ^which they certainly did. 
They played like tiger cats, while the 'Var- 
sity, not counting the game as amounting to 
much, started out indifferently. Before the 
first quarter was over the visitors had scored, 
thanks to some slow and slovenly play, a 
fumble and about the rottenest tackling that 
ever happened. The fumble gave an oppos- 
ing end the ball and he ran forty yards for 
what they call a fluke touchdown, but it 
counted seven points, and there is no excus- 
ing the fumble, or the sloppy tackling that 
let the runner get away. A couple of neat 
forward passes, a clever trick play and they 
were close enough for a field goal. Of 
course they kicked it and when the half ended 
the little fellows had us lo to o. 
The 'Varsity started playing the second half 



72 Letters From Brother Bill 

but the collegians had tasted of victory and 
played desperately. The third quarter was 
a thriller, full of real football, but the 'Var- 
sity couldn't score. The last quarter was a 
heart-breaker. The 'Varsity hasn't been 
given any fancy plays yet, and the forward 
passes weren't working at all. Straight foot- 
ball made the twenty-yard line, but there the 
tired collegians stuck and Hunter had to 
kick; — result three points. The score was lo 
to 3 against us with the final whistle but three 
minutes away. Condition and power finally 
told and the little fellows from the little 
school simply melted away. They had 
played beyond their strength all through the 
game and finally they gave out. It was just 
in time for the 'Varsity. They just managed 
to get the touchdown that tied across before 
time was called, and avert a real disgrace. 

It doesn't pay to be overconfident in any 
game, much less In modern football. The 



Letters From Brother Bill 73 

little fellows are likely to rise up and beat a 
bigger team almost any time by speed and 
fight and clever play. No team can afford 
to loaf, even for an instant. 

Five men were tried at ends and none of 
them looked good. Now the coach has Bel- 
lamy and Snow, the veteran tackles, out play- 
ing end. That leaves two tackle positions 
vacant and I'm on the 'Varsity squad. It 
looks like a real chance. I was in at left 
tackle for a time, but so were two others. 
One of them was Travis, who was lifted 
to the 'Varsity squad at the same time I 
was. 

Bad as was everything else Saturday the 
tackling was worse. I've climbed onto the 
'Varsity squad just in time for one thorough 
drill in tackling. The Old Fox has us fling- 
ing ourselves at each other or Susan Ann — 
as the tackling dummy is called — about half 
the time. Tackling is certainly a valuable 



74 Letters From Brother Bill 

and a necessary art. The boy who can learn 
to tackle right has a great start toward devel- 
oping into a real football player. 

To be a good tackier a boy must have 
nerve, — he must be fearless. The player who 
hesitates, who shows the slightest timidity, is 
useless. It takes nerve to fling yourself 
through the air at a player traveling at top 
speed, but set your jaw and dive. Remem- 
ber that the player moving the faster is hurt 
the least in a collision. The fierce tackle 
stops the man with the ball, and it jars him, 
and puts snap and confidence into the tackier 
and his whole team. The weak, slow tackle 
is usually a failure and the jar comes to the 
tackier. Put every ounce of your strength 
and energy into the last few steps before you 
spring to meet the oncoming runner. Your 
momentum must be greater than his if you 
are to break through his guard and fling him 
backward. Don't let him gain those extra feet 



Letters From Brother Bill 75 

by falling forward. Run toward a runner; 
don't wait for him to come to you. Spring 
too far rather than not far enough so that you 
will break through the runner's stiff arm and 
not be pushed to one side. 

To tackle successfully you must leave your 
feet. Dive headlong and bring the runner 
down. Just above the knees is the place to 
tackle, not around the neck. If the runner 
is coming straight toward you shoot your 
body toward him with the drive of your legs 
and he will meet a solid brace that will top- 
ple him backward. More often tackles must 
be made at an angle as the runner is trying 
to dodge around you. Dive for him, shoot- 
ing your body across his path and grasping 
both his legs just above the knees with both 
your arms. Fire the player, Tad, who hasn't 
the sand to learn to really tackle. 

I'm glad that Beechville came out so well 
Saturday. But don't forget that the bigger 



76 Letters From Brother Bill 

and harder games are still ahead. Don't let 
overconfidence swamp you. 

Your brother, 

Bill. 



Letters From Brother Bill 77 



Dear Brother Tad: 

If I die to-morrow one ambition, at least, 
is satisfied. IVe played on a 'Varsity foot- 
ball team in a real game. True, it was only 
in the last minutes that I played, and then 
with the game an overwhelming victory, but 
they can't take from me the thrill I felt when 
I stepped onto the field and took a place on 
the team. 

The second game of the schedule was 
pretty easy. The opposition wasn't quite as 
strong as a week ago, and the 'Varsity played 
some real football. The score was 21 to o 
when the first half closed and when the sec- 
ond half came they started to let the substi- 
tutes have a chance. One after another the 
subs were called from the bench. Every time 
The Old Fox turned to scan the bench I 
leaned forward a bit more and dug my toes 



78 Letters From Brother Bill 

in hoping that he would notice me. Travis 
had gone in at left tackle in the third quar- 
ter. With the game about over and but three 
of us left on the bench I had about given up 
hope when the coach yelled, ^Toster." I 
must have leaped ten feet toward him, and 
I had my sweater off when I reached him. 

^^Replace Travis at left tackle," he ordered. 
"Don't forget to report to the referee, keep 
your head, and don't get off-side." 

Travis slapped me on the shoulder as I 
took his place. "Eat him up, kid, he's easy," 
he panted as he trotted away. 

The visitors had the ball and it was first 
down. I crouched opposite their end with 
my teeth set and every muscle taut. With the 
snap of the ball I sprang against that end 
with arms outstretched, tumbled him against 
the tackle beside him almost before he was 
started, and was around them and into the 
oncoming play, — an attempted end run. I 



Letters From Brother Bill 79 

flung myself head-first into the interference 
and I broke it up all right, for Snow coming 
in from end had a clean and easy tackle. 

Right there I learned that pride cometh 
before a fall, for I was off-side on the next 
play, thanks to overanxiety, and we were 
penalized five yards. 

"Don't do that again," snapped Captain 
Bradley. 

"I won't," I told him. And I didn't. 

They had to punt in a minute, and we 
pushed another score across just before time 
was up. 

One of the assistant coaches came up to 
me in the field house after the game. "You 
played all right, Foster," he said, "after you 
settled down. But don't get a swelled head 
simply because you went in fresh against a 
weak and fagged-out team and made a show- 
ing." 

"I'll try not to, sir," I told him. 



80 Letters From Brother Bill 

Now that I'm on the 'Varsity squad I eat 
at the training table. We have a room back 
of a local restaurant and Andy, the trainer, 
sees to it that they feed us just what he thinks 
we ought to have and nothing else. We get 
lots of good red beef and mutton, but no veal 
and no pork. Coffee is another thing we 
don't get. There's chocolate in the morning 
and all the tea we want at noon and night. 
The small men are stuffed with milk, if they 
like it, but the fellows who are too fat already 
can't have that either. Sweets of all kinds 
are avoided and pies and pastrys are things 
we never see. Simple puddings and ice 
cream are the desserts we get. 

It's mighty good to gather with the fellows 
three times every day, and it's good for the 
team. We get to know, and like, and under- 
stand each other, and things move more 
smoothly. Each of us pays the regular 
amount for board every week, the Athletic 



Letters From Brother Bill 81 

Association making up the balance if there 
is a deficit because of special food and extra 
quantities. 

Most of the coaches eat with us all the time 
and all of them do in the evening. After 
supper is over we push back in our chairs and 
The Old Fox talks to us. Sometimes he tells 
us of plays ; often he criticises the work of the 
day. Almost every evening we have a stiff 
quiz on rules and on signals. 

Those rule quizzes are mighty fine things 
and it would be a good thing, Tad, if you 
could get the Beechville players together — 
say every Friday night — for a long talk on 
rules. See that there are plenty of rule books 
at hand — they don't cost much — and get 
every fellow to study the rules. You're not 
a football player unless you know the rules. 

Your brother, 

Bill. 



82 Letters From Brother Bill 

Dear Brother Tad: 

Another game has passed into the won 
column, but it was accomplished without my 
assistance. Not that I wasn't ready and will- 
ing — very willing. But they seemed to think 
that they could get along without me — and 
they did. I don't know whether I'm ever go- 
ing to get a chance again. I'm just hanging 

IE XT iG c KG n n 

o o o no oo 




Box Formation (Figure 4). 

on and working, a plain sub. I'm thankful 
to keep my place on the 'Varsity squad. 

As I sat on the bench Saturday I noted 
some plays that you may be able to put to 
good use. The first sketch (Figure 4) shows 



Letters From Brother Bill 83 

the box formation that is not unfamiliar in 
football nowadays. It is a good formation 
for a team to be familiar with. The four 
backs line up so that a pass from center may 
go direct to any of them. Any of the usual 
plays may be worked, as a pass to the quar- 
ter for a run around opponent's left end (as 
shown in diagram), a pass to the right half 
for a plunge through guard, or a pass to full- 
back for a cross buck through tackle. You 
can figure out as many plays for yourself as 
you care to use. 

The old series play is still an excellent one. 
The idea is old enough, — to have three or 
four successive plays from one signal. Let 
us suppose Beechville has the ball somewhere 
in the middle of the field on the first down. 
The players are all in good shape and ready 
for a steady, concerted effort. You call the 
signal for the series play. First the left half 
drives through the opponent's left tackle on 



84 Letters From Brother Bill 

a cross buck. Instantly the ball is down every 
man must spring to his place, and without 
any signal the ball is snapped and the quar- 
ter passes to the left half for a run around the 
opponent's left end. In the midst of this 
second play, the left end, instead of follow- 
ing the ball as he normally would on an end 
run around the other side, turns and sneaks 
over to the left sideline as quietly as possible. 
Here he lies flat just inside the side line. The 
end run has carried the play to the other side 
of the field. Again the team lines up instantly 
and the ball is snapped without waiting for 
a signal. The chances are excellent that in 
the heat of a series play, the speed with which 
the movements are executed will prevent the 
opposition missing the end. In that case the 
man receiving the ball from the center passes 
straight across to the left end who rises as 
soon as the ball is snapped and, receiving 
the pass, should have a clear field toward the 



Letters From Brother Bill 85 

goal (Figure 5). The other backs should 
run to the left with all speed and block men 
of the secondary defense who might other- 
wise run across and cut oflp the man with the 
ball. 

But suppose that the left end is noticed and 
the opponent's right end runs over opposite 



Hidden End Trick (Figure 5). 

him. Then you should change your signals 
instantly and start an end run to the left. The 
opponent's right end is over by the side line 
watching your end and the end run has a 
splendid chance of succeeding if your left 
tackle is good enough to block his man with- 
out the assistance of the end. 
The series idea can be worked with any 



86 Letters From Brother Bill 

variety of plays. It depends on the quickness 
of the players in resuming their positions for 
its success. Long practice alone will bring 
it to perfection. Sending one end out for a 
distance is an excellent stratagem on ordinary 
plays, even when he makes no attempt to con- 
ceal himself. If he is noticed the other end 
is likely to keep opposite to him and so be 
drawn out of the play and a way opened for 
an end run. 

The ends should know how to stop that 
play as well as to work it. I have drawn the 
defensive positions for you, Tad (Figure 6), 
The duty of the end is to keep his eye on his 
opponent every minute, and never to let him 
slip away. But if the end does chase across 
the field don't go as far as he does. Stop 
about five yards closer to the center of the 
line. The defensive half should move over 
and closer to the line to be ready to stop an 
end run, and the center and quarterback 



Letters From Brother Bill 87 

should also move over a little to cover the 
spot left vacant. The end must keep his eyes 
open. If the opposition tries an end run he 
is still close enough to run in and help the 



QB 

RH C 

RT RG LG LT 
# • # • 

o o n o o o 

LT IG C RQ RT RE 

-o. 




'QB 



O O 
LH FB RH 

Breaking Up Long Pass to End 
(Figure 6). 

half stop it. If a pass is tried to the end who 
seems to be uncovered the defensive end has 
a royal opportunity to dash across, grab the 
ball out of the air from in front of his op- 
ponent and make for the goal. 

IVe told you a little of the possibilities of 



88 Letters From Brother Bill 

sending an end out. Study it out from all 
angles and you will find that you can make a 
winner of it, Tad. I hope that it works fine 
for Beechville. Like everything else it takes 
study and practice. 

Your brother, 

Bill. 



Letters From Brother Bill 89 



Dear Brother Tad: 

You tell me that Beechville fumbled badly 
last Saturday, and assign that as the reason 
for the touchdown against you and the fact 
that you didn't win by a larger score. I'm 
glad — mighty glad — that Beechville won the 
second game of the county series. But there 
are other and harder games to come and the 
backs must learn how to hold onto a football. 
Perhaps I'm not much of an expert on that 
subject, but I got some drill while they were 
trying to make a fullback out of me on the 
All-Fresh last year and I haven't closed my 
eyes while the coaches were instructing the 
'Varsity backs this season. 

On line plunges the back should carry the 
ball in the pit of his stomach, grasping it with 
both hands and leaning far over it. It is easy 

to lose a ball in the scramble of line plunging 



90 Letters From Brother Bill 

and it should be especially well protected. 
On off-tackle plays and end runs the back 
should carry the ball under the arm farthest 
from the threatening tacklers. Thus, in en- 
deavoring to circle the opponent's left end, a 
back should carry the ball under his right 
arm. One end of the ball should be placed 
between the arm and the body with the hand 
grasping the other end. The ball must al- 
ways be held firmly. If a player has circled 
the end or is running back a punt through a 
broken field he will sometimes have occasion 
to shift the ball from one side to the other as 
a tackier threatens now on one side and now 
on the other. Both hands should be used in 
shifting the ball, just as both hands should 
be used in receiving a pass of any kind. Both 
hands must be kept on the ball until it is 
safely tucked away in the proper position. 

Carrying the ball under one arm gives the 
back an opportunity to use the other arm to 



Letters From Brother Bill 91 

ward off tacklers. What is known as the 
"Stiff arm" is a valuable weapon for the man 
carrying the ball. The player who can use 
it effectively is particularly valuable and will 
get away from many tacklers who would 
otherwise bring him down. Meet the would- 
be tacklers with outstretched arm, placing 
the heel of the open hand against the head, 
neck or shoulder of the opponent. At the 
same time swing the legs away from the 
tackier, and slip around past him while thus 
holding him at arm's-length. 

When tackled the back should fall toward 
his goal, thus gaining an extra yard or two. 
In line plunging the back must learn to pick 
the holes. The injunction to ''hit the line 
hard" is an old one, but a necessary one. Step 
high when you run and keep your feet. Hit 
the line at full speed with head and shoulders 
low and back straight. A successful end- 
running back must follow his interference. 



92 Letters From Brother Bill 

This is an art in itself. Keep about two steps 
behind your interference. If you are closer 
you will go down if the interference is spilled 
without a chance to dodge around. Never 
run back. If you can't dodge or stiflf-arm a 
tackier go down. Don't go back, as that will 
only lose additional ground. 

If a back fumbles a ball he should drop on 
it instantly. Never try to pick it up unless 
you are absolutely certain there is no oppo- 
nent within ten yards of you. The all-im- 
portant thing is to retain possession of the 
ball. It is bad enough to fumble a ball and 
so spoil a play; but to fumble a ball and fail 
to recover it is fatal. 

Dodging is another of the gridiron arts, 
but it is a much-abused art and many backs 
lose more than they gain in efforts to dodge. 
Skipping back and forth across the field with 
tacklers lunging for you looks pretty and 
may bring cheers from spectators who don't 



Letters From Brother Bill 93 

know football; but all that counts is advanc- 
ing the ball. While the back with the ball 
is running back and forth the opponents are 
coming up and he will probably be thrown 
for no gain or a loss. A speedy, clever back 
who has proved that he can dodge in prac- 
tice games may be justified in dodging. The 
plan that succeeds best in most cases is to 
plow straight ahead at full speed and trust 
to the interference, power and the stiff arm 
to break through tacklers. 

Your brother, 

Bill. 



94 Letters From Brother Bill 



Dear Brother Tad: 

A county championship for Beechville 
High is surely a worth-while ambition. It 
means something to captain a championship 
eleven. It's splendid that you have made a 
clean sweep in the county so far; but remem- 
ber that the real games, the hard games, are 
yet to come. You must beat both Corning 
and Stony Run if Beechville is to have a 
clear claim to the banner. Successes in the 
past do not insure successes in the future. 

The team must do its hardest work from 
now on, both in practice and in the games. 
Put every possible bit of energy into the 
drills. Tad. Plays must be perfected and all 
the finer points mastered. It is finish, the 
mastery of every little detail, that counts 
when two evenly-matched teams meet in a 
championship struggle. Keep every player 



Letters From Brother Bill 95 

hard at it and try to key yourself and all the 
others up to the highest pitch for the big 
struggles. 

Don't let the substitutes lose interest be- 
cause it is late in the season and they feel they 
will have no chance. Use them a good deal 
in the practice games — try to make them 
about as good as the regulars. It will keep 
the regulars on edge and you will possibly 
need a good many players in the two hard 
games to come. 

Modern football is especially hard on 
backs. A team that can develop two sets of 
backs has a great advantage. At any rate I 
would advise you to give Simms some rest 
during the big games to come. He is a 
speedy, brilliant player — a treasure. Make 
the best possible use of him. If things are go- 
ing fairly well for Beechville, if there seems 
no immediate chance of scoring, or a score 
is not needed to tie, take Simms out toward 



96 Letters From Brother Bill 

the end of the second quarter. Let him rest 
all through the third quarter and start him 
again at the beginning of the fourth. Then 
he will be fresh and strong and ready to give 
his very best in a final, supreme effort to push 
across the winning score. Take advantage 
of the rule that allows a player to be put back 
in after he has been withdrawn. It allows 
you to get fresh substitutes into the game for 
a time and allow regulars who are light but 
fast to regain their strength. 

Keep the thought ever before you that it 
is unity of action— team play — that counts. 
Every player must be at his proper place, in 
every play, every time. Drop the player 
who can't or won't do that, no matter what 
his individual ability may be. It is never 
too late to change. Some of the substitutes 
may have developed slowly, yet surely, and 
may now be better than a regular who has 
been slowed up through injuries or has gone 



Letters From Brother Bill 97 

stale and accumulated a swelled head. The 
thinking, earnest plugger, who is at it every 
minute playing his hardest, always in his 
place, and always thinking, is the man you 
want. Put the premium on spirit, speed and 
intellect. Try to make the drills develop 
these qualities. 

In planning your plays for the big games 
you must keep two things in mind — your op- 
ponents and your own team. Simple, yet 
easy to overlook! Don't take a play out of a 
book or article and try to use it unless you 
are sure it is adapted to the particular boys 
who play the positions with Beechville High, 
or unless it can be changed to fit your condi- 
tions. You have an especially speedy and 
clever left half in Simms. Plan plays that 
will utilize his ability to the utmost. Devise 
plays that will put the strong points of each 
player to the best possible use. 

You know something about the Corning 



98 Letters From Brother Bill 

and Stony Run teams and will have a splen- 
did chance to learn more next Saturday when 
they play each other while Beechville is idle. 
Every Beechville player should be at that 
game, to watch, and watch carefully. There 
is nothing unsportsmanlike in studying an 
opponent's methods as disclosed in open 
games. Learn as much as you can of the gen- 
eral style of attack, and also of particular for- 
mations and plays. Try to see everything and 
remember everything. Let each man study 
his prospective individual opponent and 
learn his style of play. Then, when you have 
returned home, you may carefully and wisely 
plan for each of the coming games. A de- 
fense must be ready for each attack that is 
disclosed. Every trick play sprung must be 
learned and the way to stop it devised. Each 
must plan for himself the way to best handle 
the player who is to face him. Prepare your 
entire team for the other's play. If Corning 



Letters From Brother Bill 99 

shows great ability at running the ends and 
seems disposed to depend on that method of 
attack station two powerful, dependable 
players at your defensive end positions. If 
Stony Run displays unusual ability with the 
forward pass strengthen your secondary de- 
fense. 

Plan your attack against the weaknesses that 
you may have noticed in the defense of youf 
opponents. Don't waste time and strength in 
plunging against a stronger line; develop an 
open attack. If you do notice a weak spot in 
the line prepare to puncture it. 

Also be prepared for the unexpected, Tad. 
Those other fellows will know you are 
watching them and will prepare something 
new for Beechville. Be ready for them. 
Keep alert and plan as the game progresses. 

My big hope now is to win the 'Varsity 
letter. I guess I can hold my place on the 
'Varsity squad now, though even that isn't 



100 Letters From Brother Bill 

certain. Another game has been played and 
won without my assistance. There are but 
three ahead, and they are the three that count. 
I'm working harder than ever and hope I am 
learning and improving. 

Your brother, 

Bill. 



Letters From Brother Bill 101 

Dear Brother Tad: 

The forward pass has proved successful 
for Beechville in the games that have passed. 
I hope you will make it work better in the 
big contests to come. Put in a lot of work 
on it now, Tad, for the time will soon come 
when you are likely to need it badly. You 
must have some good passes ready to spring 
when it is vital that you at least get within 
striking distance of the goal. One good pass, 
followed by a successful place kick will 
break a tie. Develop strength in all depart- 
ments and keep a varied attack ready, but 
above all have the forward pass mastered. 

In the first place you must have a player 
who can pass accurately and another who is 
quick on his feet and who can catch and hold 
a football. In baseball drill the pitcher and 
catcher work together constantly. The prac- 
tice of the football players who are to handle 



102 Letters From Brother Bill 

passes should be as constant. The end usually 
receives most of the passes. He must have 
the ability to get down the field and away 
from the opponents to a clear spot where the 
ball may safely be thrown to him. He must 
be able to get uncovered quickly and cer- 
tainly. When the pass comes to him an oppo- 
nent may be close on it ready to snatch the ball 
away. He must be capable of leaping high 
in the air to receive a pass, grabbing it from 
in front of another and holding it. He must 
be able to receive a pass on the run. A back 
is also eligible to receive a forward pass and 
not infrequently the opportunity arises, so 
that the back, also, should be familiar with 
this work. 

The player who passes the ball must be 
able to throw the ball with absolute accuracy 
for considerable distances. A football is not 
the easiest of things to throw and it takes 
time to master the knack. The man who 



Letters From Brother Bill 103 

makes long passes must learn to shift the ball 
quickly into the palm of his hand, with the 
point forward and his fingers against the 
lacings. Don't swing the ball wildly into the 
air but throw it with somewhat the same mo- 
tion as you would a baseball. Keeping ever- 
lastingly at it brings the results. The passer 
must learn to put the ball in the exact spot 
where his end is, or to some open spot ahead 
of him which he is sure his end can reach be- 
fore the ball. Let the players work together 
day after day and there will be few incom- 
pleted passes in a game. 

The passer must keep his head. He must 
avoid the opponents who threaten him as he 
would pass the ball. He must wait till one 
of his teammates who is eligible to receive a 
pass gets into the open. If no one succeeds 
in getting uncovered he should not pass the 
ball, but try to run forward with it, or allow 
himself to be downed. It is better to lose a 



104 Letters From Brother Bill 

few yards and a down than to allow the other 
team to get control of the ball. 

The ends and backs who master the forward 
pass will be better able to stop the passes of 
opponents when the other side has the ball. 
The success of a forward pass depends upon 
an end or back getting down the field to a 
spot where he is unguarded by an opponent. 
The task rests with the members of the sec- 
ondary defense never to allow an opposing 
end or back to remain uncovered at a spot 
beyond their line. The defensive center 
playing back, the defensive quarter and the 
defensive halves must watch every opposing 
play and if an end dashes up the field one of 
them must get close to him at once and stay 
close to him so that he may intercept a pass 
if it is attempted. The part of the linemen 
in stopping passes is to break through and 
down the back with the ball before he can 
throw it. That is the surest of all ways. 



Letters From Brother Bill 



105 



I am sending you a sketch, Tad, of a for- 
ward pass play which I believe is a good one 
(Figure 7). The moment the signal is called 
the fullback turns and runs to the position 



LE\ LT LG C M ai 
O O QO O 





Forward Pass Play (Figure 7). 

shown. Instantly the ball is snapped and the 
quarter, receiving the ball from the center, 
passes it to the full. The halves dash to the 
left as though for an attack on that side and 
so are in a position to protect the full from 
oncoming opponents. The full, protected 
by the other backs, waits until one of the 



106 Letters From Brother Bill 

ends gets uncovered and then passes to him. 
As the play starts to the left, the right end 
would have the best chance of getting into 
the open without being guarded. If the de- 
fense opens up and falls back when the full- 
back runs back, the quarter can instantly 
change his signals, without changing the po- 
sition of his backs, and shoot one of his halves 
through the opened line of the opposition. 
The next time the formation is used the oppo- 
nent's line may stay up and then the pass can 
be attempted. 

The forward pass play from fake end run 
is one of the complicated tricks that requires 
much work to master, but which is good to 
have in reserve for a tight place. The play 
is used from the formation shown (Figure 
8), of which I wrote you in September. A 
line shift is used, the left tackle moving 
across to strengthen the right side as though 
for an attack on the opponent's left wing. 



Letters From Brother Bill 



107 



The quarter receives the ball from the cen- 
ter and pretends to pass it to the left half. 
The right half and fullback dash to the right 
as though for an end run. The right end 

C RQ hT RT RE 




o n O O 




Forward Pass from Fake End Run 
(Figure 8). 

has turned with the snap of the ball and re- 
ceives the pass from quarter, being guarded 
by the left half and quarter. He runs back 
and to the left a bit until he has an oppor- 
tunity to pass to the left end who has run 
down the field. 

Take these general plans, if they will help 
you, Tad, and work them over to fit your 



108 Letters From Brother Bill 

needs and conditions. Go after Corning 
hard and trim them good. 

Your brother, 

Bill. 



Letters From Brother Bill 109 



Dear Brother Tad : 

^^Dixie" is a tune which always thrilled 
me, yet I never knew just what it could mean 
till I saw its effects on the Southerners, who 
were our opponents — and guests — yesterday. 
When the 'Varsity band played ''Dixie" Fri- 
day night at the mass meeting, and again 
Saturday afternoon, the boys who had come 
up from the South to face us on the gridiron 
just about went crazy, and the wonderful 
dash and enthusiasm they showed, coupled 
with clean sportsmanship, made a game the 
like of which I never saw before. And I 
played in it, too. Tad, getting in at left tackle 
for the last ten minutes after Travis had 
weakened a bit. 

The splendid spirit that may exist between 
two schools and two teams was admirably 
demonstrated during the past week end. 



110 Letters From Brother Bill 

This was the first of the big games and about 
as big a game as this 'Varsity wants for 
awhile. The Southerners came in Friday 
morning, and Friday afternoon they were out 
at our field. The 'Varsity gridiron was of- 
fered them and they weren't afraid to trust 
us and accept it. The 'Varsity practiced on 
the outfield of the ball diamond, giving the 
visitors complete privacy. A string of 
seniors, stretched around the outside of the 
field, saw that no one went near them. It 
is one thing to watch an opponent in a game 
and another to spy on him at a secret prac- 
tice. Good sportsmanship cannot tolerate 
the latter. 

That mass meeting Friday night was a 
stirrer of hearts. The big hall was packed 
and the roar of welcome the visitors drew 
was proof they were welcome. The Dixie 
manager was hauled up to make a speech 
and he certainly made an enormous hit. He 



Letters From Brother Bill 111 

was rather more than a trifle rattled facing 
those five thousand roaring rooters, and his 
soft Southern drawl, that sounds so attrac- 
tive to our Northern ears, made his talk all 
the more attractive. He told us they loved 
us like brothers but that they had come up to 
beat us and so they would have to do it. That 
tickled the crowd, for that is the sort of sports- 
manship that is worth while. 

When the Southerners appeared on the 
field Saturday afternoon the 'Varsity band 
struck up "Dixie," and how those chaps did 
jump around, turning somersaults and hand- 
springs as they raced to their bench. The 
dash and spring of the visiting eleven when 
it took the field for preliminary practice 
showed the spirit of the men. 

What a game that was! I crouched on the 
bench through the first half watching the 
fast, brilliant play. The visitors were natur- 
ally fast and their dash was wonderful. The 



112 Letters From Brother Bill 

'Varsity, but a trifle heavier, and possibly not 
quite so speedy as a team, was tense and 
ready, springing to meet the charge of the 
Southerners with equal skill and alertness, 
else they must have been hurled aside by that 
attack, which moved with wonderful quick- 
ness and smoothness and yet with tremendous 
power. The visiting quarter, who was more 
or less of an all-around wonder, started 
trouble for the 'Varsity by running back a 
punt to our fifty-yard line. Then a combina- 
tion of quick line plunges, end runs and suc- 
cessful forward passes sent the ball across for 
a score — but they missed the kick-out and so 
counted but six points. As it turned out that 
was mighty lucky for us. The 'Varsity didn't 
seem to be able to do much with the forward 
pass; but one worked in the second quarter 
and opened a chance. The off-tackle plunges 
were winners, thanks to good charging and 
blocking in the line. They won a touchdown 




KICKING A GOAL. 



Letters From Brother Bill 113 

for us and as Hunter, the fullback, kicked 
the goal the half ended with the score 7 to 6 
in our favor. 

The 'Varsity left tackle drew quite a 
pounding in the first half, and it was through 
him that the touchdown scored. I thought 
there would be a change there and was hop- 
ing my best, "Travis take left tackle," came 
the coach's orders as we trotted out for the 
second half, and I was again doomed to the 
sidelines. I realized that he feared the re- 
sults of my inexperience in such a struggle, 
and yet I longed to get into it. At last my 
chance came after the visitors pushed across 
their second score as the fourth quarter 
opened. Travis had played his heart out and 
had drawn a bang on the leg that made him 
limp. He was jam full of fight and begged 
to stay in, yet he called a cheery word to me 
as I took his place. 

I was sufficiently thankful that the big 



114 Letters From Brother Bill 

Southern veteran opposite me had worn out 
two men before I drew the job of facing him. 
I set every muscle and nerve in the effort to 
master him and yet it didn't seem possible. 
We had the ball most of the time I was in, 
and were striving desperately for the touch- 
down that would avert defeat. He seemed 
to divine my plans for besting him and al- 
ways got his hands on me and held me off. 
At least I prevented his breaking through, 
and a couple of times I blocked him back so 
that a play could slip past his station for a 
few yards' gain. 

The breaks of the game came at the last 
with astonishing swiftness. Hunter fumbled, 
a Southern end was on the ball and things 
looked dark for us. They started a forward 
pass. Someway or other I broke through, 
for I had charged desperately, and I rushed 
for the back with the ball. He passed swiftly 
out and up the field. But Captain Bradley 



Letters From Brother Bill 115 

was expecting just such a pass and dashing in 
front of the Southern end, picked the ball out 
of the air and started for the Dixie goal, sev- 
enty-five yards away. He didn't quite make 
it, but some line plays brought the score, 
and as Hunter kicked the goal we won by the 
margin of one lonely point. 

It was a wonderful game to see, and a won- 
derful game to play in. Tad, and the best of 
it all was the splendid spirit of tense yet 
friendly rivalry in clean, vigorous sport. It 
was all an inspiration for me. 

Your brother, 

Bill. 



116 Letters From Brother Bill 



Dear Brother Tad: 

I'm proud of you and proud of Beechville. 
That you should beat Corning was great! 
You don't say much about your part in the 
game, but give all the credit to Simms be- 
cause he picked up a fumble and ran forty 
yards for the only score. Yet you must have 
used splendid generalship to keep that 
heavier team on the defensive so much of 
the game, and that without uncovering any 
of your fancy plays. The Stony Run team 
was watching the game, of course, and they 
discovered none of your choicest secrets. 

After all, the startling, unusual trick plays 
don't count for everything. You hear a good 
deal about them and they are spectacular; 
but the steady, well-directed attack that de- 
pends for its efficiency upon skill and speed 
and strength is really more dependable. It 



Letters From Brother Bill 117 

is wise indeed to have trick plays for tight 
places, but don't place a great deal of depen- 
dence upon them. 

You are now only one game away from 
the county championship, — but that one game 
will be the hardest test of all. Remember 
that Stony Run, also, beat Corning. The 
Beechville defense stood up well on Satur- 
day, so you had best devote the days that re- 
main to polishing the offense and getting into 
a condition — mental and physical — where 
you just can't be beaten. 

The ability to block is probably the largest 
element in a successful offense. I have writ- 
ten you a good deal about line blocking, and 
the linemen must get their opponents out of 
the way. Back-field blocking is of equal 
importance. A finished interference is what 
enables a team to gain ground consistently. 
The runner must be protected from would-be 
tacklers and this can only be done by putting 



118 Letters From Brother Bill 

those tacklers out of the play. Every back- 
field man should be a master blocker. The 
player carrying the ball may use his hands 
to stiff-arm tacklers, but the other players on 
the offensive are not allowed to use their 
hands and so must depend upon their bodies 
to get the way clear for the runner. The 
back serving in the interference should fling 
himself against the defensive end or back, 
whom he is assigned to put out of the play, 
and striking him about the knees knock him 
flat on the ground and keep him there. If 
the tackier starts to back away or side step so 
that you are not sure of hitting him with your 
dive spring after him, get your shoulder 
against his legs and hustle him to one side, 
keeping after him every second. Don't let 
him slip away from you and back into the 
play. Block him away from the play, toward 
the sidelines if possible. 

The play should be planned so that each 



Letters From Brother Bill 119 

player will have a certain opponent to put 

out, and he must assume that responsibility. 

« 

When a play fails find out who got the run- 
ner. Do this in scrimmage drills as well as 
games. Then fix the responsibility for the 
failure on the player who failed to block the 
opponent who nailed the runner and spoiled 
the play. 

Smooth out the wrinkles in that back-field 
until it can work as a unit. Of course you 
are all perfect on signals by now, but be more 
than that, — be perfect in your mastery of 
every detail of every play, and perfect in 
your execution of it. Start together, always. 
Make every start the start of a sprinter in a 
championship race. Spring with the snap 
of the ball. Get the jump on those chaps 
from Stony Run. Get them on the run and 
keep them there. Above all work together, 
hang together and never lose heart. 

Avoid false starts. The backs must key 



120 Letters From Brother Bill 

themselves up to dash in the direction in 
which the play is aimed, but don't give any- 
outward indications of it by look or move- 
ment. The defensive players are watching 
for just such hints of where the play is going 
so that they may be prepared to meet the 
attack. 

Practice, Tad, and practice hard. We are 
drawing drills, day and night now. 

Your brother, 

Bill. 



Letters From Brother Bill 121 



Dear Brother Tad: 

Kicking in all its phases is one place to put 
a bit of emphasis these final days. If your 
punters and place kickers haven't learned 
their art by now it is, of course, rather late 
to teach them. But they must be rounded 
into top form so that they will be capable of 
top notch performances in the big game. 
Punting is very likely to decide closely-fought 
contests. 

The center, too, has his part to play in 
the kicking, and it is an important part. His 
passing must be perfection if the kicks are 
to succeed. Now is the time for him to prac- 
tice constantly and make sure that his aim is 
perfect, else a bad pass may cost the game. 

You are familiar enough with the rules 
governing a try for goal after a touchdown. 
You have been practicing place kicks, but 



122 Letters From Brother Bill 

have you been practicing punt-outs? It may 
happen that your score will be pushed across 
close to the sidelines, and yet you will want 
the best possible chance to score that seventh 
point. We had a vivid reminder last Satur- 
day that the seventh point may be the one 
that wins. 

If the touchdown was made at one side 
have the man who is the most accurate punter 
for short distances take the ball and stand 
behind the goal line at the point where the 
ball crossed. The backs should spread out 
to cover the field in front of the goal, with 
the linemen stretched across the field in front 
of them to block the opponents who may 
cross the line immediately the ball is kicked 
out and try to prevent its being caught. The 
kicker must kick the ball so that it will fall 
as nearly directly in front of the goal as pos- 
sible and about twenty-five yards away. One 
of the backs must be under it when it falls, 



Letters From Brother Bill 123 

and he must heel it — that is, dig one heel 
into the ground as he catches the ball and 
hold it there for an instant. Then the try 
for goal may be made from the point where 
the ball was heeled. The player who catches 
the ball must remember not to touch it to 
the ground, but hand it to the quarter, or 
whoever is to hold the ball for the goal 
kicker. See that the entire team get some 
practice in the kick-out so that each may 
know what is expected of him. 

A goal from the field may be your only 
method of scoring. Tad. Every player on 
the team has his part to play in an attempt to 
score by the ^'air route." Each player in the 
line must block with absolute certainty in 
order that the backs may have a chance to 
do their part. This is a time when the line 
must block as a unit — make an impenetrable 
wall of itself. The linemen may well play 
unusually low and close together, even drop- 



124 Letters From Brother Bill 

ping to hands and knees instead of assuming 
the usual sprinter's start position. Let the 
linemen hold perfectly steady, shoulder to 
shoulder and wait for their opponents to 
come to them. Thus the defensive players 
may be blocked with more certainty and the 
line protecting the kicker kept together. The 
two halves who back up the line must be 
ready to block any opponent who should 
chance to break through. The ends must get 
down the field, especially if the attempt for 
goal is made from a considerable distance, 
for it may fail to cross the goal line and be 
caught by the opponents and run back like a 
punt. 

If you are stopped with the ball in your 
possession near your opponent's goal it might 
be good generalship, in some circumstances, 
to use a forward pass from the place kick 
formation, faking a place kick to deceive 
your opponents. Thus you may score seven 



Letters From Brother Bill 



125 



points instead of three. The play is an ex- 
cellent one to have ready, and I have sent 
you a drawing of it (Figure 9) . 

The quarter crouches on the ground as 




E LT LG C RG RT /RE 

00 D O O' 



LHO 



ORH 



0f8 

Forward Pass from Fake Place Kick 

(Figure 9). 

though for a place kick and the center passes 
low. The quarter even holds the ball close 
to the ground as though for a place kick and 
the kicker swings forward. But just then 
the quarter jerks the ball from in front of 
the kicker's foot and rises. If either of the 



126 Letters From Brother Bill 

ends has gotten into the open a successful 
forward pass may be negotiated. 

Now go after that Stony Run eleven, Tad. 
A Beechville team is just as good and a little 
better than any that Stony Run can develop. 
Prove it to them. Go after them hard, and 
to win. 

Your brother, 

Bile. 



Letters From Brother Bill 127 

Dear Brother Tad: 

I am with the team in the east! After an 
all night and all day ride we are camped 
in the land of the enemy. Our "camp" is a 
hotel in a little city some forty miles short of 
our destination. We pulled in here Thurs- 
day afternoon and will stay until Saturday 
morning, when a special car will take us in 
for the game. 

Tad, I have a real chance to get into the 
game Saturday. And where do you think? 
— at center! All day long on that Thursday 
ride I crouched in the aisles of the Pullman 
and passed a football back to LaChance, 
'Varsity quarter, or to his understudy. When 
the train would stop at stations The Old Fox 
would hustle us out on the platform and set 
us to passing there. This is the result of 
a catastrophe that fell after the last practice 
on our own field. Lowe, the veteran center. 



128 Letters From Brother Bill 

had stripped for the showers when he slipped 
on the wet cement floor in the field house and 
fell against a hot steam pipe, burning his leg 
and arm badly. 

Armstrong has been subbing for Lowe at 
center, but Lowe is so big and powerful that 
no one thought a sub would ever be needed 
for him. Of course Armstrong would be the 
natural choice for center now, but still I be- 
lieve there's just a chance that I will get in 
first and I certainly am doing my best to 
master the position and prove my fitness. 
They grabbed me because another man had 
to be ready for center. The Old Fox called 
me to him after supper Wednesday evening 
and quizzed me about the rules and plays. 
How glad I was that I had tried to master 
every detail of every play. I knew where the 
ball went for every play. 

"Did you ever play center?" he finally 
asked me. 



Letters From Brother Bill 129 

^Tart of one game on the Fresh last year; 
once in high school; and IVe passed the ball 
a good deal at practice this year," I told him. 

"Do you want to play center?" was his 
next question. 

"I want to do anything you need me for," 
was my answer. 

"Do you think you can play center?" 
His eyes were boring into me. "Remember 
a mistake in the pass may cost the game!" 

"I believe I can do it, sir. I'll give all I 
have, and I'll try to keep my head." 

"That's the spirit," he said. "Remember 
if you do get in in the east you will face an 
All-American center. You must be ready 
to do your best." 

The entire 'Varsity squad made this trip, 
so I would have gotten here anyway; but 
this gives me a new and better chance to get 
into the game. I'm mighty sorry for Lowe, 
especially as it hurts the team so. If I get 



130 Letters From Brother Bill 

my chance I'll do my best and hope that it 
will be a pretty good best. 

All this Friday morning I have passed the 
ball. Armstrong was at center most of the 
time during the very light practice we had 
yesterday, but I got in for a bit in a thirty 
minutes' signal drill this morning. After 
that we hired tallyhos and went for a long 
drive through this beautiful country. The 
coach talked football to us all the way down 
on the train, and now he is giving our minds 
a rest, except when we are at actual signal 
drill. 

A crowd of Eastern rooters came out this 
morning and watched our drill. We had no 
place for secret practice. So this afternoon 
the coach announced that we should just take 
a walk. We had our street clothes on so no- 
body followed us. When we were about a 
mile out in the country we found a level pas- 
ture and the coaches produced some balls and 



Letters From Brother Bill 131 

set us at a signal drill. I was mighty glad to 
actually make the passes on the fancy plays. 
To-morrow may bring my big chance. I'm 
hoping for it, yet mighty nervous about it. 
Your big game comes to-morrow, too. I'm 
thinking of you, and pulling for you. 

Your brother. 

Bill. 



132 Letters From Brother Bill 



Dear Brother Tad: 

This is a cheerful day for letter writing! 
To be able to congratulate a brother who has 
led his team — my old team — to a county 
championship is best of all. The pennant is 
Beechville's, and I can't tell you how glad 
I am. The game with Stony Run must have 
been a wonder. You scored your touchdown 
by steady, consistent football, and the mar- 
gin of one point over their two field goals 
gives you a clean win that you may well be 
proud of. I certainly am proud of the part 
you must have played in that contest, and I 
know the town is proud of you and your 
team. 

Another thing that I can be happy about 
is that I can write you that I did get into 
the big game in the east, and at least didn't 
disgrace myself. Armstrong started after all, 



Letters From Brother Bill 133 

and played clear through the first half, while 
I lay wriggling all over with excitement, 
hope and dread. He really played a good 
game, but one bad pass that spoiled a prom- 
ising play at a crucial point gave him a black 
eye with the coach. 

The first half ended without a score. I 
never saw a more spectacular contest. Our 
'Varsity would rush the ball up the field a 
way, only to be forced to punt. Then the 
Easterners would hustle it back a way; and 
then they would have to punt. The punting 
duel through that first half was a wonder. 
Hunter was sending out long, high spirals 
that covered sixty yards apiece. Once he put 
an extra ten yards on his drive and the ball 
got over the head of the Eastern backs and 
rolled almost to their goal line. Playing 
from behind their own goal they covered 
twenty-five yards on three splendid plays and 
then kicked the ball out of danger. 



134 Letters From Brother Bill 

Their wonderful quarter did some punting 
of an unusual sort. His kicks covered scarce 
thirty yards in the air, but they went like rifle 
shots, low and hard. The ball would hit the 
ground on its point and go bounding along 
at terrific speed. Our backs had to play away 
back for them and take them on the bounce, 
as a shortstop would field a high bounder. 
One never could tell which way the ball 
would bounce, so those queer kicks covered 
fully as much distance as Hunter's, and were 
harder to handle. 

What a talk the coach did give us between 
halves, and then came the word, "Foster, take 
center!'' that set my every nerve on edge. 

Well, I kept my head, I guess, for I didn't 
miss any signals or make any bad passes. 
It was a hard, terrific contest, but I lasted 
through it in good shape. The coach didn't 
trust either Hunter or me to play center on 
defense, but put us at guard. I had a hard 



Letters From Brother Bill 135 

enough time of it there. They didn't make 
much ground through me, and I made no 
awfully bad mistakes. I just wouldn't spoil 
my chance; I just wouldn't let the man op- 
posite me best me. The speed of the charges 
was tremendous, but some way I managed to 
keep up. 

The game ended a tie, without a score. 
We had three chances that last half, and twice 
we crossed their goal line, only to have both 
plays called back. Once a forward pass 
worked like a charm, yet Bellamy, who re- 
ceived the ball, stepped outside with one foot 
in dodging a tackier and the score didn't 
count. The other play failed because of 
holding in the line — I'm mighty glad I wasn't 
the one to hold that time. 

The final contest at home yet remains and 
my hopes now center on that. I'm sorry you 
hurt your ankle — especially sorry since you 
can't get down to see the last game. You've 



136 Letters From Brother Bill 

had success and glory to make you happy this 
season, Tad. Now hope that your brother 
gets into the last big game, wins his letter and 
a regular place. 

Your brother, 

Bill. 



Letters From Brother Bill 137 



Dear Brother Tad: 

My dream of the first day didn't come true 
exactly as I dreamed it, yet the important 
part did. When the 'Varsity trotted out 
from the field house onto the gridiron, your 
brother Bill was among them — the first 
choice for 'Varsity center in the big home 
game. The big red team had come down to 
face us in our own haunts, and the stands 
were packed with twenty thousand cheering 
partisans. The cheer the rooters gave us 
was an inspiration. I felt that nothing could 
stop me. It was no longer a question of keep- 
ing up with the others, as it was in my first 
big game. I was ready to go out and set a 
pace of my own. 

Yet when the first half ended the count 
was six to nothing against us. The coach 
hustled us into the field house and there went 



138 Letters From Brother Bill 

over us one by one, pointing out our faults 
and our mistakes and delivering exhortations 
for the second half. He didn't curse us, or 
call us dogs or curs or any of the other things 
that a coach is generally supposed to do to 
a losing team between halves. He stated our 
shortcomings and pointed out the way to 
improvement, he pleaded with us to go out 
and win for the sake of our captain and the 
university. He is one splendid, lovable gen- 
tleman, and we knew that we just had to win 
for him ! 

*Who are they, that they should beat you?" 
he queried. "They're nothing but men — ■ 
they have no charm. They're no stronger 
than you, nor are they any better men. The 
team with the greatest spirit will win; 
where's your spirit? Go out and win!" 

Bradley, the captain, was on his feet. 
"Boys," he said, "we all tried to play foot- 
ball last half; but we can do better this. 



Letters From Brother Bill 139 

They can't beat us if we won't let them — and 
we won't let them. It is my last game, and 
Bellamy's and La Chance's, and Hunter's. 
And here's Travis, another senior. He's 
going in this half at tackle, the last chance 
he'll ever have. It's the last game any of us 
can ever play. We want to look back upon 
it as a victory, and we want the rest of you 
to help us, for our sake and for the univer- 
sity. Then there's the man who has guided 
us and taught us. Let's prove to him we are 
worth his effort. His reputation is at stake, 
as well as our own reputations and our 
school's. Lowe is sitting on the sideline's, 
his arms blistered. He's a senior. We must 
win for his sake also. Now come on out and 
beat them, fairly, squarely, cleanly." 

[And we did. We just wouldn't let them 
stop us. We put two touchdowns across 
before the final whistle blew and left the field 
on the shoulders of the rooters. 



140 Letters From Brother Bill 

And so, Tad, the 'Varsity letter is mine. 
Lowe graduates, and I can start next season 
as a 'Varsity veteran. 

One more good thing I have to tell you, 
Tad. Marx, the ineligible who refereed the 
Beechville-Stony Run game last Saturday, 
evidently had a long talk about it with The 
Old Fox. The coach came to me after the 
game to give me a word of praise and he 
asked about you. 

^Wasn't that your brother who played 
quarter at Beechville this year?" 

^Tes," I told him. 

^'Well, I hear he's a great deal of a quar- 
ter-back. Coming up here, isn't he?" 

"Yes; next year," I told him. 

"That's the stuff. If he has the stuff they 
say he has, and if he works and learns like 
you did, year after next we'll have two Fos- 
ters on the 'Varsity, one a center and the 
other a quarter." 



Letters From Brother Bill 141 

Fine, brother mine. Our greatest days 
are yet ahead. I'll spend Christmas vacation 
out in the barn passing to you; and you're 
going to be the greatest quarter there ever 
was. 

Your brother, 

Bill. 



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